OFFSTAGE: Jay DeMarcus’ New Son Must Be a Rascal Flatts Fan

(CMT Offstage keeps a 24/7 watch on everything that’s happening with country music artists behind the scenes and
out of the spotlight.)

It was really nice of Dylan Jay DeMarcus to be born at the perfect time of day (4:02 p.m.)
on Friday (July 20) for dad Jay DeMarcus to get back to work onstage with Rascal
Flatts by 9:30 p.m. So I can think of only one reasonable explanation: The littlest DeMarcus is already the biggest Flatts
fan. Right? Jay flew home from Detroit to Nashville once he found out his wife, CMT Insider correspondent Allison DeMarcus,
was in labor. And
he was able to make it back for the Flatts show that night with a little help from a private jet and a waiting helicopter.
(There had been rumors DeMarcus had borrowed the private jet that Kid Rock
and Bob Seger share, but he did not.) He even stayed in his hospital scrubs
to do the show. Steve Grunwald, morning show host at Detroit’s WYCD radio, told me he spoke with a very nervous Gary LeVox
and Joe Don Rooney before what could’ve been their first show as a duo. He said they were both joking about performing the
show without DeMarcus. LeVox also said DeMarcus had told him, “I’m gonna try and make it back for the show, but we’re going
in. Allison’s going to the hospital. We’re gonna have the baby.” So that afternoon, while the rest of the Flatts were doing
their sound checks and meet-and-greets, Jay, Allison and big sister Madeline Leigh were welcoming all 7 pounds, 11 ounces
of baby boy to the world.